A Second Promise
by EnchantedForestWanderer
Summary: Snow remembers another promise she made


This is my first attempt at a fanfic or any story, actually. Never in the world would I have thought I'd actually conjure one up. But this little piece just came to me one evening. I think these events occur right after Lacey, but if it seems off to you, please use your mental superpowers to manually adjust this little tale to another Once time frame. Please forgive spelling and grammar. Thank you, kindly. I am interested in knowing if the story flow seemed to work. Hope it's enjoyable.

THE SECOND PROMISE

Snow's hands trembled a bit with pain. Yet Snow was determined to finish her very short note. "Dearest, dearest..." it began. She remembered what came next, what she always wrote, but her hands were throbbing. Snow stared at the white bandages on her hands. They covered up the cooking burns she foolishly received earlier this morning. Thankfully, a swift trip to the hospital and a kind nurse didn't alter her day very much.

No, no, it was these newly resurfaced memories from years ago which interrupted her sanity.

Awful memories from a day spent with her stepmother, Regina.

Her father, the King was away for several weeks. Coincidentally, Snow's hands were also bandaged that terrible summer day much as they were this morning. "Thank you Johanna", Snow had said the day before, as Johanna had expertly, tenderly, lovingly applied the softest white cloth strips, which had been soaked in healing liquids, to young teenage Snow's palms. Johanna inquried, "Your palms are raw?" In reply, Snow said, "it was a nasty, nasty rope burn." Regina suggested, "I've got an idea. This might cheer you up. Let's wake up before the sun tomorrow morning and go horseback riding all day." Regina smiled,"Somewhere new and mysterious." "Oh yes," Snow had agreed. She certainly would not be using her rope swing anytime the near future.

After a very early rise, this was to be an exciting day! Never before had they ventured so many miles away from the castle, Snow's home. In later years Snow realized that Regina must have felt suffocated to have been so bold with distancing themselves as fast as they could fly. So far away from their normal safe protected boundaries.

Snow was still frustrated with herself.

She said aloud, "Why don't I remember this real nightmare from my childhood? Why didn't I remember this years later when I was hiding and on the run from Regina or when I was married? Why not until this one crazy morning here in Storybrooke?" Why did she only pen the letters annually only a couple of times and then neglect them forever after if it were so important to her?

Still Snow managed to dutifully finish her note, stop by the Storybrooke florist and pick up a single dark pink Rose, and nervously head towards the mayoral mansion. The dark pink rose which signifies gratitude was exquisite to look upon as she held it aloft in the sunlight.

Snow had intended to leave the note and rose with a secretary, but when she heard the voices arguing in Regina's office, she recognized one of the voices as her own daughter, Emma. In fear for Emma, Snow burst into their midst.

"Why do I even bother!" Emma was loudly, almost screaming to herself.

Why Emma had felt guilty after their terse conversation on the benches by the docks near the water she could not fathom. However, Emma had decided to offer herself as a mediator to arrange a quality time meet or meal between Regina and Henry. "Look, I'm trying make a sincere effort...instead we're arguing."

"Emma!" Snow ran in to interrupt.

Emma was fine, uninjured, but now Snow was face to face with an ill-tempered Regina, who looked at Snow with fury in her eyes.

"Regina! I..."

Snow hadn't had much contact with Regina since the traumatic incident on Regina's porch where Regina had thrust her hand inside Snow's chest to reach for Snow's heart. Snow shuddered at the pain-filled memory of her heart outside of her chest.

Regina looked her unwanted intruder over with contempt.

"What! Are You! Doing here!" Regina spat out at Snow, her face filled with loathing.

"Regina, I'm sorry. It's just that for many years I seem to have forgotten."

Full of guilt for her lost memories, Snow didn't know what else to say, and briefly lowered her eyes. She then placed her brief note and the pretty dark pink rose on a small table near the office's entrance close to where she was at the moment standing.

Regina's eyes traveled to the table and realized what had been Snow's hands.

A flood of old horrific memories washed over her body. Regina took this opportunity to return to her chair behind her desk. Regina had never forgotten. She just had chosen to keep her shame buried.

Oh what painful memories!

She and Snow had ridden for hours. They had stopped to eat late lunch in some odd-looking, timeless ruins, which echoed only quiet around them. So tranquil was this spot, each fell asleep. Even the gregarious irritant Snow.

Regina awoke to see and hear two wretched excuses of humanity on top of Snow, pawing at Snow as Snow screamed in terror. Somehow, with strength and will, knowing the harsh wrath of Snow's father, the King, he also her husband, Regina lunged at the two men. She knew what would be meted out upon her if the King's precious child was injured or worse. Regina shouted, "Snow! Ride to the castle and don't look back! It will take you hours, but don't turn back! Go!"

Hours later, Regina discovered that Snow had waited for her only a few miles away.

Waited and waited and waited.

Snow hadn't known how to find her way back. She was unable to return home and solicit help for Regina. Not that rescue would have arrived at all in time. They were just far too many miles away, isolated in unpopulated territory. All the frightened young teenage princess could do is wait in silence, praying her stepmother, who had heroically saved her, would eventually appear.

Praying that Regina would be safe, unharmed and then lead them home to the royal castle. The pain in Snow's still swollen fingers clutching the horse's reigns paled in comparison to this terror which had enveloped her.

Regina did reappear. And both Regina and Snow arrived home in the evening's cloaking shadows. In the darkness, Regina noticed how Snow had trembled the entire journey back.

Witnessing Regina lost in thought, Snow also began to remember more. Regina had persuaded Snow it would benefit the both of them to never speak to anyone else of what really happened. Remembering Regina's furious eyes that day when Snow had confessed her shattered promise of Regina's first true love, Snow readily agreed to keep this terrible secret between the two of them. Snow only wished to please Regina, especially as she realized just how much Regina was suffering while on her horse next to her.

Here in the mayoral mansion and with fresh boldness, Snow decided to press a quieted Regina.

"Regina. I couldn't remember. Why couldn't I remember? Did you somehow wipe my memories?"

Barely acknowledging her, Regina weakly answered back, "No, I couldn't work something so powerful back at that time. I … cratered … that horrible day to the very bottom. Not erased. Foggy. Merely... too insignificant to recall."

At this Snow was livid.

"How dare you. You have no right! You have no right to mess with my memories."

Regina stood to yell at Snow. Venom clearly evident in her voice.

"Is it not preferable to forget? What's wrong with you? Besides, YOU know why! You very well know why I couldn't trust you with my humiliation. Not after what YOU did to me! Not after YOU lied and broke your promise to me about Daniel! Not after YOU killed him! You betrayed me! I knew I could never trust you again!" Spent, Regina wearily slid back down in her office chair and glared at her nemesis.

Snow's face burned red with guilt and embarrassment.

In a more humble tone she let out, "Regina, you still had no right to erase my memory of what you did for me. And let's be clear, not once in those two to three years that occurred before you somehow screwed with my head did I ever utter a word or break that promise to you. I KEPT your secret."

Emma stood dumbfounded, watching this confrontation between her mother and Regina. Frozen, she couldn't speak. But Emma also could not even imagine these two disparate individuals communicating with such daring familiarity.

Regina didn't answer Snow. Fatigued, Regina merely stared at the younger woman.

Snow walked to lean in on Regina's desk with her full weight, and thus, lean into Regina herself. As she did so, Snow cringed with pain, "Ah..." momentarily forgetting her burnt and dressed hands.

Yet she continued, "Regina, I am no longer an easily manipulated child. I am an adult now. No matter how angry I become with you, no matter how much you may hate me, I promise you on my life I will never speak a word to anyone about what happened that day. That's OUR secret." Snow had lowered her voice to sound less antagonistic. She wasn't whispering. Emma clearly heard every statement. Emma just couldn't comprehend this puzzle before her.

Regina refused her eyes to reach into Snow's. Feeling this conversation was becoming too intimate for her liking, Regina slowly turned her chair with her back to Snow, and let escape a burdened sigh.

Snow continued, "Before I go, because I also made a promise to myself never to forget what you did for me, and because I fear that now you won't even make an effort to read my words written to you, let me repeat them now.

Dearest, dearest..."

Regina cringed, fearing to hear what naturally rolled off in Snow's mind from Snow's earlier notes decades past of the exact same message which Snow penned with gratitude while still a teenager.

'...Stepmother' Snow thought, but did not verbalize. She did not wish to deliberately alienate Regina and cause her to feel even more uncomfortable than she already appeared. "...Regina", Snow decided.

Snow continued, "Thank you for protecting me. I can never repay the debt I owe you."

Finished and lacking a response, Snow turned to leave.

'She's leaving' Regina struggled with panic. 'I must stop her before it's too late.'

Regina was so flustered she twice tried to yell out "Mary Margaret" but each time stumbled over the lengthy Storybrooke pseudonym.

First there was an unintelligible hoarsely whisper, then louder it erupted, "Snow! Stop!"

Emma stood astonished as she'd never heard Regina refer to her mother with her mother's Enchanted Forest birthright.

Stunned, Snow turned back to face Regina who now standing, shaking from the mixed emotions coursing within her veins.

"You owe me a multitude of broken promises that you could never repay. Over several lifetimes." Anger had flowed with this statement.

'No!' Regina thought to herself, and then chose to immediately de-escalate as this hadn't been her intention for the commanded restraint.

Regina's voice softened, and even became gentle. "However, on this...only this...you already paid any debt, and then some. You owe me nothing. Do you understand me?"

Shocked, Snow simply nodded her head in comprehension as her reply, turned yet again, and headed for the exit leading out of the office of Regina Mills.

Emma filed behind her mother, deciding she could always return to argue with Regina any other day. No way was she going to stay behind after witnessing such an utterly bizarre high-octane exchange between these two complicated, formidable women. Emma needed to feel some sunlight on her skin.

In transit Emma thought she saw something. "What the..." A wisp of soft purple smoke popping up from her mother's hands. Certainly she'd imagined it. Emma immediately turned to check Regina. Regina sat motionless, staring at her desk, not at all reacting to Emma's voiceless inquiry.

As Snow had walked away from Regina's presence, and headed for the door, her bandaged palms began to tingle. She lifted her hands up a bit and cupped them. Suddenly purple puffs of smoke danced up from each of her hands. These purple puffs joined to form one delicate cloud of lavender smoke which vanished just as quickly as Snow had first witnessed this phenomena. At the very same instant her eyes had observed this tangible purple magic, Snow's palms also felt smooth velvet caress them. Silk. The softest of down feathers gently brush across each hand. The swollen pain had receded to nothingness. Snow knew without even removing her bandages her hands were now completely healed of the burns acquired from this morning's earlier cooking disaster.

Snow smiled. Snow let out a drop or two of tears. With warmth in her heart she proceeded out of Regina's office as well as the mayoral mansion itself. For days after, Snow believed she could still feet the most delicate of feathers sweeping across her palms.

Emma shook her head in disbelief. Curiosity pulsated. Frustration reigned. Emma knew Snow would never disclose "the secret". Regina and Snow's relationship was just too much of an enigma. Exasperated, Emma let out, "I'm going to Granny's."

Regina sat still allowing her painful, traumatic memories to mercifully subside back into the deepest crevasses of her mind. Actually, this was easy to do as she instead chose to focus on the days that followed.

Lying in bed, stiff and sore, she had recovered mostly while sleeping in darkness. To Snow's credit, she kept everyone else out of Regina's bed chamber. Regina didn't know how the girl managed to explain the oddities. Regina still considered it a mystery as to how Snow ensured no one disturbed Regina's restless slumber. Or their reactions to the late night arrival of their Queen and Princess.

Regina had been filled with infinite anxiety. She knew she was responsible for endangering both her and Snow's lives. She had felt her punishment imminent.

Weeks later when her husband, Snow's father returned, he never discovered the awful truth. Snow had indeed kept silent.

What Regina DID experience however, was Snow's compassionate, tender fingers every single day as Snow came to gently bathe and dress Regina's gashes and bruises. Snow's inexperienced fingers may have been clumsy at times as she mimicked Johanna best a young princess could, yet her delicate caresses were kind...faithful. Eventually effectual. The child was sensitive enough to keep the usual annoying hugs and rough grabby touches she was wont to do at bay. Instead, Snow would exit Regina's bedchamber only after a single butterfly kiss to Regina's forehead.

Regina grew to look forward to those soothing sweet kisses while she had recovered. She hoped Snow had realized.

Regina had deliberately buried these specific memories of Snow's kindheartedness decades ago. She should probably do so again...It would be best. And yet...Regina gave permission for them to linger.


End file.
